Blind IPA/IIPA Taste Test

Nothing taken personally.

Maybe premature, but what are the best options? It's hard to determine what you prefer when you simply have a single beer by itself. Lining the three beers up and having them head to head for me was how I wanted to decide what I preferred.

You make a good point that ones opinion may change after taking some time and drinking a veer more. I personally rarely have huge shifts opinion, other some beers that greatly change as they warm up.

I even pulled out a growler of Societe and Solitude #6 (you can see it in the review of that beer) because I wanted to see how it would compare to Double Sunshine. I thought hard and long about it and eventually went with Double Sunshine.

The lesson for me is that it's extremely hard to decide what is "better" or what you "prefer" unless you have beers side by side against each other.

 

I just did a side by side of Heady and HDR.
They are distinctively different.
If you've had either one before you'll know it as soon as you try it. (that goes for all 4 you plan to try)
HDR is an absolute palette wrecker!

Both Heady and HDR were equally awesome, I refused to say one is better than the other. They are too just different not to even mention throwing Pliney or BP into it!

 

Most of you are too caught up on styles and how a given beer fits into one. And worse yet, judging it based on well it fits. To paraphrase... 'there are two kinds of beer, good and bad'.

 

I agree with the point you're making and love the striking analogy even more. I'll take one of each. Ahem.

 

Thanks for reporting back!
How did you rank them?

 

Ever wonder why no other brewer recommends drinking their canned IPAs/DIPAs straight from the can?

 

My buddy and I did a blind taste test the other night with the three Alchemist beers above. Both of us (at separate times) thought that Focal Banger was the best and that it was Heady Topper.

 

Interesting. Most people I know think it is easily the worst.

 

Very cool! Thanks for posting your results.

 

Honestly, I was pretty surprised about that as well. We both thought the Crusher was easily 3rd.

 

Also did a blind taste test with a friend yesterday.

Heady Topper
Bissell Brothers The Substance
NEBCO Gandhi Bot
NEBCO Sea Hag



Don't mind the wrestling dogs



This is the first time I've ever tried a blind taste test, and I think it was very difficult with IPAs. We had palate cleansers and water and it still was a bit tough. We put the Sea Hag in because a lot of us that have had it consider it a local "hidden gem," so we just wanted to see how it stacked up and if it could hang.

My Results:

1) Heady Topper
2) Gandhi Bot
3) Sea Hag
4) Substance

Friend's Results:

1) Gandhi Bot
2) Heady Topper *
3) Substance *
4) Sea Hag

*He really had a hard time making a decision on 2 and 3, they kept changing order. I'd say he pretty much tied them.

We tried a few different rounds and stuff started to run together and change order. I gotta say, IPA judging is difficult. haha
The conclusion is, all four are stellar beers that would be tough for most people to differentiate if they didn't know any better.

 

Just had HDR last night. I found it to be excellent, but below Heady and Pliny (and DirtWolf, Resin, Torpedo, and Limbo, among others), and miles ahead of Blind Pig

 

No shit ...... I was at NoDa Friday night and they would not do any growler fills and had no 4pk cans to sell. The bartender let me know that they had a 4 pk of their own which they would sell me at twice the price ...... f'n a-hole

 

Fresh HDnR is excellent, unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to try Pliny, Heady, or Blind Pig.

 

Unless you've tried this blindfolded, you are simply speculating that you could pick them all out. I've been boastful of this myself with various types of beverages and each time we've tried it scores never topped 60%.

Line up 7 beers that you don't know the name of in any category/style (some that you've had, all that you've had), blindfold yourself and see what your palate can pick out. Report back when you do. Until then, you really don't know for sure.

 

I've honestly stopped coming into NoDa for very similar reasons. I'll stop at local shops and pay the $1 extra a 4 pack and be much less likely to get shut out for my HDR fix.